Mona Lincoln
by Just4FunFiction
Summary: During his art class, Lincoln receives some rather surprising news... news he would rather keep away from his sisters. But, doing so in a house of thirteen won't be easy. Can Lincoln keep up the charade, or will the man with the plan need a plan B?
1. Ch 1- A Grade To Remember

It was another Monday in Royal Woods, and Lincoln was currently in art class, where his teacher, Mr Thompson- a tall, bearded man with brown hair and glasses, wearing a grey shirt, brown dress pants and black shoes- was currently handing out the grades from the recent project, which they had been working on for the past couple of months. "Rusty," he spoke, handing the ginger boy a sheet of paper, "you received a B. Pretty good, but still room for improvement. Liam, you got a C+. Not bad." He handed Liam a sheet, before handing another sheet to the boy in glasses. "And, Zach, you got a D, due to the fact you turned your work in late." Before the boy could argue with it, they heard the bell ring. "Alright, class! That's the bell for lunch!" He turned to look at the white-haired boy. "I need to speak to you before you go, Lincoln, but the rest of you are free to go!"

As the rest of his class eagerly left for lunch, talking about their grades amongst each other, Lincoln walked up to the teacher. "Now, Lincoln, I bet you're wondering why I've kept you behind."

Lincoln nodded worriedly. Mr Thompson hadn't given him his grade back, which made Lincoln worry that he had done badly. "I'm sorry if I didn't do that well. I know I can do better, and I promise to-" He cut himself off when he noticed his teacher softly chuckling. This confused Lincoln, reflected on his face as he raised his eyebrow. "Uh, Sir?"

"Lincoln, my boy, relax!" He patted him on the shoulder. "Please, take a seat." Lincoln grabbed a nearby stool and sat upon it, whilst the older man did the same. "I've not kept you here to tell you that you've done badly. No, no, no, it's quite the opposite! This is one of the best pieces I've ever seen by someone at your level! You're getting an A+!"

Lincoln blinked, his eyes widened out of shock. "Are… are you serious?!"

He nodded, amused by his student's surprised expression. "I am! I will admit, when I saw you starting your piece, I was uncertain about the style choice, but the finished product caused me to forget all of those doubts! You should be really proud of your work!"

Still surprised by the result he got, Lincoln smiled at the compliment he had received, especially given that Mr Thompson was known to be somewhat critical when it came to grading. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't mention it. However, there is something I would like to ask you." Curious, Lincoln nodded. "The school is holding an art gallery tomorrow, and I think that your piece would be a great addition. Not only will staff, students and family be able to see the work, but a local art curator will choose a piece to be shown in the Royal Woods National Gallery youth exhibit!" Lincoln just sat there, taken aback by the sudden and enthusiastic information he had received. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I am obliged to receive a verbal agreement from the artist to display their work. What I'm asking, Lincoln, is would you be willing for me to put your work in the gallery?"

"I… I mean…" It took Lincoln a couple of moments to process everything, but once he did, he smiled at his teacher, his eyes showing his excitement at the idea. "Yes, I would be honoured!"

Mr Thompson's smile widened as he shook Lincoln's hand. "Thank you, Lincoln! I look forward to seeing you tomorrow! Now, by all means, go and enjoy your lunch!"

"I will! Thank you, sir!"

* * *

From there, Lincoln spent the rest of his day with a big smile plastered on his face. As he walked home by himself, since Clyde was working on his science project, Lincoln looked up and saw how clear the sky was, with not a single cloud. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, and the sun was beaming down brightly, yet the air was cool. It was if that day was the perfect day.

Lincoln looked at the viewer. "Well, today has been amazing!" He told them whilst walking down the path, not too far from his home. "Not only is it beautiful outside, but Mr Thompson has given me the highest grade I've ever received! I never really thought I was that good at art, but if Mr Thompson gave me an A+, then maybe it really does deserve to be going in the gallery! I'm kinda excited to see what everyone thinks." He returned his gaze towards the direction he was walking in, but after a few steps, he stopped in an instant, his eyes wide and his smile gone. "Wait a minute. If I go in there and tell them my work is in the gallery, my sisters are all going to want to see it. What if they don't like it?"

He could see it in his mind:

" _Dude, this is a bust!" Luna laughed. "I'd rather go and look at one of Jared Beeker's album covers!"_

 _Lisa stuck her nose up at it. "There is irrefutable scientific proof that this is one of the worst fifth grade artistic projects the nation has ever seen," she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone._

 _Luan was giggling. "What is the name of this? Artageddon?" She joked, before laughing even harder._

 _One by one, his sisters added their insults, before they crowded around him, laughing harder and harder, until he screamed "Noooooooooo!"_

Lincoln shook his head, getting the nightmarish thought out of his head. "There is no way my sisters can go! But how do I hide it from them? I'll be expected to go to the gallery because it's my work, and my parents will probably want to go…" He pondered it for a few seconds. "Buuuuut, if I don't bring it up, then they won't know! All I have to do is keep it a secret from my sisters!" He looked back at the viewer. "Yeah, I know. In a house with ten sisters, that's not gonna be easy. As long as I act like everything's normal, they won't suspect a thing."

He walked down the path until he reached his house, walking up to the door and opening it to go inside. "I'm back!" He called up the stairs as he shut the door behind him. Looking to his left, he saw that Lori was on her phone, talking to Bobby again, which meant she didn't hear him. He then looked right and saw the kitchen was empty. Since his sisters never went in the dining room except to eat, that meant they were all upstairs, and as he approached the staircase, he could hear Luna's guitar playing, which meant no one upstairs was likely to have heard him. Lincoln shrugged. "Works for me."

He walked up the stairs, and could tell right away that his sisters were up to their usual antics, as the second he reached the landing, he heard Lynn shout at him, "Lincoln! Heads up!"

Looking in the direction she shouted from, his eyes widened as he dodged the sporty sister, who ran past him whilst dribbling a basketball. Once she reached the end of the hall, she threw the ball towards a net that she had hung from the bathroom door, hitting the backboard before it went in the net. "Oh, yeah!" She cheered, fist pumping. "Lynn scores again from in the paint!"

Hearing the word 'paint' set Lincoln on edge, but he smiled back at his sister. "Nice one, Lynn!" He called out, before turning around, oblivious to the odd look she had. As he continued to walk towards his room.

"Hey, Lincoln." He screamed at the sound of the voice, but calmed down when he turned around and saw it was only Lucy, the goth girl holding a piece of paper and a pen in her hands. "Oh, come on. I'm right by my door." He looked behind her, and saw she was indeed standing outside of her and Lynn's room. "I need a word that rhymes with heart."

Without even thinking, he replied, "art." As soon as he said it, he realised what he had said and tensed up. "I-I mean, you could use that, but maybe 'start' would work better." He chuckled nervously, before walking away.

"Hmm… that actually does work better," Lucy spoke to herself, before returning into her room.

Lincoln sighed heavily. 'I've gotta keep it cool.' As he walked towards his room, he halted when he saw an explosion come out of the doorway on the right. A few seconds later, the four-year-old of the family, Lisa, walked out of the room, covered in a yellow liquid. "What happened this time?" Lincoln asked.

"In my excitement to pursue a scientific breakthrough, I added the nitroglycerin to the beaker too brazenly, causing it to tip and fall to the floor at such a velocity that an explosive reaction occurred." Lincoln winced at how painful it sounded, but she held a hand up at her. "Fortunately, it fell into an open can of paint, and I avoided the debris from the explosion."

Much like with Lynn, hearing his sister mentioning painting set him on edge, but he simply smiled back at her. "Why did you have a paint can in your room?"

"I was conducting an experiment on the qualities of different paint consistencies against extreme weather conditions. I needed a break from my usual studies, and decided to do something easy to help my brain relax." She then noticed that he was acting differently. "You appear to be acting differently to your normal state."

He laughed nervously. "Who, me? That's ridiculous," he told her, before walking towards his door, ignoring her reaction. He placed his hand on the handle and was prepared to go in, but he felt someone tap on his shoulder. He mentally groaned, looking to just go into his room, but he turned around, just in time to be squirted in the face with something by his older sister, Luan.

"Gotcha, Lincoln!" She boasted, laughing triumphantly. "You look a bit red! Is it hot outside?"

She laughed again, causing him to groan. "Very funny, Luan," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. As he wiped it off his face, he noticed his hand was now red. Looking back at Luan, he saw the flower on her shirt, and looked at her, confused. "Isn't the flower supposed to squirt water?"

"Yeah, but I thought, if I added paint to it, I could call it 'watercolour'! Get it?" Yet again, he tensed up when she mentioned paint, which she noticed immediately. "You okay, Lincoln?"

"Me? Y-yeah, I'm fine! I'm just gonna go wash this off." With that, he made a beeline for the bathroom, dodging Lynn again as he headed to the far door. When he got there, he groaned even louder when the door wouldn't open. "Seriously?"

"What's wrong, dude?" He heard Luna ask him. When she saw his face as he turned to her, she smirked. "I take it Luan got you with her latest prank." Unamused, he slowly nodded. "Don't worry, you weren't the first. Sis got it over my amp while I was playing, sent it everywhere! Gotta admit, though, I kinda like how it looks in here now!"

Lincoln cracked a small smile at that. 'That sounds like Luna,' he thought to himself.

It was only a couple of seconds before the bathroom door opened, and Leni saw Lincoln standing their, paint all over his face. "Ooh, Linky! Is that a new fashion statement?" She asked, oblivious to what had actually happened.

Lincoln growled. "No, Leni, this is not a fashion statement!"

Without another word, he barged past her and entered the bathroom. As he slammed the door and locked it, this caught the attention of all his sisters, including Lori, who had just finished talking with Bobby. "What is going on up here?" She asked, as all of Lincoln's sisters- except for Lily- appeared from their rooms.

"It would appear that Lincoln has hidden himself away in the restroom," Lisa explained. "I would also point out that he is showing behavioural abnormalities."

"Meaning what, exactly?"

Lisa adjusted her glasses, before finally answering. "He's hiding something from us."


	2. Ch 2- Plan B

**(A/N: Wow! I did not expect such a positive reaction. Just a few days in, with only one chapter, and this story is the fourth most followed fanfic I have published! Thank you, guys, for the tremendous support, and enjoy!)**

Lincoln furiously brushed his fingers through his hair under the running water, desperate to get any remnants of paint out of his hair. "C'mon…" he complained. "This had better not stain. I'm pretty sure red hair doesn't suit me." After a couple of minutes of trying to get the paint out of his hair, he heard a knock at the door. "Just a minute!" He looked back up at his reflection in the mirror- while there was still red on his face, it had been watered down, and would come off when he towel dried it. Turning off the water, he took a couple of deep breaths. "Okay, okay… keep it together." He was cut off when the knocking returned, this time louder. "Okay, I'm coming!" He yelled. Grabbing a towel, he dried his face, and began to dry his hair as he unlocked the door. When he opened it, however, he yelped in surprised when he saw nine of his sisters, all staring at him. "What?"

"What are you up to, Lincoln?" Lori asked, her voice serious.

"You're acting shady, bro," Luna added.

"M-me? What are you talking about?" He replied, defensively.

"Your uncharacteristic stutter suggests otherwise," Lisa pointed out.

"The spirits also believe that you are keeping a secret from us," Lucy spoke next. "The spirits never lie, Lincoln. You're hiding something."

While he knew they were onto him, Lincoln also knew he had to stand his ground, so he crossed his arms at them. "Oh, yeah? Well, if you know so much, then tell me- what am I hiding from you?"

Lisa sighed. "If we knew that, Lincoln, we wouldn't be having this conversation- we would, instead, be interrogating you about said secret."

All at once, his sisters ganged up on him, demanding that he tell them what he's hiding. Lincoln backed up a couple of steps, looking at the viewer. "I'm gonna need a miracle to get out of this!"

"Kids! Time for dinner!" They heard their mom call from downstairs.

Lincoln sighed in relief, then looked back at the viewer. "Somebody order a miracle?" He looked back at his sisters. "Well, I'll see you downstairs for dinner!" He told them smugly, as he walked back to his room to place the now reddish towel in his hamper.

"This isn't over, Lincoln!" He heard Lola call out, before she shut the bedroom door.

He gulped, before entering his room. Throwing his towel in the hamper, he exhaled heavily, sitting down on the bed. "Okay, they know that I'm keeping a secret, but they don't know what it is. As long as things stay like that, everything will be fine. Good thing I have a plan B." He sat there for a moment, looking down at his hands, before looking at the viewer. "I should probably wash my hands before I go to dinner- they're still a bit… painted."

So, Lincoln joined the queue to the bathroom, which didn't take long to shorten, and once he had washed his hands clean of the remaining paint, he went downstairs and into the kitchen, where he was surprised to see that no one was at the kid's table. Walking into the dining room with his eyebrow raised, he was equally surprised that all of his siblings were sat at the grown up's table. "What's going on?" He asked.

"We're all having dinner in here tonight," his mother, Rita, explained whilst placing dinner in front of everyone. "Go on, sit down."

Not wanting to argue, Lincoln took his seat next to Lynn on the left side of the table, with Lisa on his other side. Almost as soon as he grabbed his napkin and laid it on is lap, Lynn leaned over and whispered in an almost menacing voice, "you can't keep a secret from us, Lincoln. We'll find out, one way or another."

He just gulped and nodded, knowing that when Lynn spoke like this, she was serious. 'My only hope is that they talk over dinner and forget about it for now,' he thought to himself. Fortunately for the only boy in the Loud house, this was how things seemed to go, as his sisters mainly talked about other things, with Lori mainly talking about Bobby, Luna and Luan talking about upcoming gigs, Lynn talking about her recent soccer match, and the twins were messing about with each other. While Leni, Lucy and Lisa were mostly quiet, Lincoln wasn't as worried about them as he was the rest of their sisters. It wasn't long before Lincoln- and the others, for that matter- had finished their dinner. 'Okay,' Lincoln began to plan in his mind. 'Now, to go back to my room and figure out how to keep my sisters from finding out.'

"Okay, everyone!" His father, Lynn Sr, spoke as he returned to the room. "Who's up for dessert?"

The eleven siblings looked at their father in surprise. "But, I thought we didn't get dessert at the grownup table?" Lincoln asked.

"Well, we don't normally, but we're celebrating today!"

As Rita returned to hand everyone a bowl of chocolate ice cream, Leni decided to ask what all eleven siblings were thinking. "Mom, what are we celebrating?"

The matriarch looked at Lincoln, who no one had noticed was looking slightly panicked. "Do you want to tell them, Lincoln?"

And just like that, all eyes were on the white-haired boy, who gulped. "Wha-what are you talking about, mom?"

"Your project, of course! The school sent us an email! Here, I'll read it out now." She then proceeded to pull out a sheet of paper with said email and read it out. **"Dear Mr and Mrs Loud, you and your family are invited to the Royal Woods Elementary School Art Gallery tomorrow, which will show artwork from students between the first and sixth grades. We are extremely proud to inform you that your son, Lincoln Loud, received an A+ on his most recent project, which he has agreed to allow to be displayed in the gallery. Doors open at half past six, and the gallery is open from seven to nine, where students will be able to look at the art and talk with teachers about the work being shown. I look forward to seeing you there. Sincerely, Mr Thompson, Head of Art."** She put the paper away, and looked back at her son, eyes gleaming with pride. "Why didn't you tell us about this when you got home?"

Lincoln, noticing the varied glares he was receiving from his sisters, chuckled nervously, pulling on his collar while he blushed. "I, uh… I guess I just… forgot? He only told me today before lunch."

"Well, your mother and I are very proud of you, Lincoln!" Lynn Sr praised his son. "This is the best grade you've received all year!"

"Thanks, dad." Lincoln then proceeded to eat his ice cream in silence- despite enjoying the treat he had received, he was highly aware his sisters were still looking at him while he ate. Once he was finished, he placed the spoon down in his bowl. "Dinner was great, mom. Can I be excused? I, uh, promised Clyde I would contact him about a, uh, problem he's having."

"Of course you can, Lincoln," she happily allowed. "Just place your plates and things in the sink."

He nodded, picking up his bowl, plate and glass, standing up and walking into the kitchen. Once everything was placed in the sink, he calmly walked through the dining room, then booked it up the stairs, dashed into his room, grabbed his walkie-talkie and shut the door, leaning against it. "This is Lincoln, calling Clyde!" He spoke into the talkie with urgency. "Do you copy?"

" _This is Clyde,"_ he heard Clyde say on the other end of the connection. _"What's up, Lincoln?"_

"Clyde, I have a code indigo! I repeat, code indigo!"

He heard Clyde gasp. _"You mean our sisters have discovered one of your secrets?"_

"Yes! Plan A failed, so it's onto plan B- try and dissuade them from going. But I don't know what to do! I need help, Clyde! I repeat, I need-"

The door was forced open, causing Lincoln to scream as he flew towards the window and got lodged in it. Behind him were his sisters, Lynn with her foot in the air after forcing the door open. Both Luna and Luan reached up to pull Lincoln out of the window, turning him around as he smiled nervously at his sisters.

"Erm, I'm a little busy talking to Clyde right now," he told them in an attempt to get them out of his room, holding up the walkie.

Lori, stepping forward, snatched it out of Lincoln's hand, and spoke into it, "hello, Clyde? It's Lori. Can you hear me?"

" _ROBOT. ERROR. SYSTEM. SHUTTING. DOWN…"_ They all heard as the line was disconnected.

Lori held it up smugly. "Looks like there's no one there." Before Lincoln could say anything else or try and escape, they grabbed him and carried him off into Luna and Luan's room, where they tied him to the chair. As Lincoln tried to struggle his way out of the confines of the ropes, Lori held her phone up, turned on the flashlight and shined it in her little brother's face, causing him to squint. "Alright, no more games. Talk."

"Wh-what are you talking about? I already told you, I forgot until mom read the letter!"

"Highly unlikely," Lisa explained. "The abnormalities in your behavioural characteristics in the past couple of hours do not suggest that you had simply forgotten, rather, they suggest you wanted US to believe you had forgotten."

"Not to mention how you freaked slightly when I said, 'in the paint'," Lynn added.

"And how you suggested art to rhyme with heart, before changing it to start," Lucy chimed in. "Even if it did work better."

"And your reaction to my watercolour joke," Luan spoke next.

Lana looked up at her older sister. "Actually, that was pretty normal," she pointed out.

"Oh… but, still, there is no way he forgot!"

"So, Lincoln," Lynn said as she stepped forward, poking a finger into his chest, "do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

"Look, guys, I'll admit- I didn't really forget, but… I just… didn't think you'd be interested! That's all, I swear!"

Luna scoffed. "A likely story, bro," she retorted at his defence. "Why wouldn't we want to see our little bro's work on display?"

"I, uh… didn't think any of you cared about art that much?"

"A likely story," Lisa spoke up once more. "While I am not a particular fan of the arts, there are times when I can appreciate the aesthetic value."

"Yeah, like, I love art!" Leni spoke next. "All the pretty colours and patterns!"

The other sisters all voiced their agreement at this, before Lori stepped forward, and they all glared at him again. "Strike one- you pretend to forget. Strike two- you pretend we wouldn't care! Now, you have ten seconds to tell us the truth, or we will have to resort to OTHER methods for retrieving information." With that, the ten sisters began to count down. "Ten…"

"Nine…" Leni spoke next.

"Eight…" Luna said, stepping forward with her drumsticks ready.

"Seven…" Luan continued, holding a pie in her hand.

"Six…" Lynn added, cracking her knuckles. By this point, Lincoln was sweating.

"Five…" Lucy spoke, her typically emotionless voice sounding threatening.

"Four…" Lana spoke, holding out her wrench.

"Three…" Lola was next, as she looked at him with menacing eyes.

"Two…" Lisa spoke after Lola, all nine sisters just a couple of steps away from Lincoln as he trembled in his captive position.

"One…" they all shouted together, waiting for Lincoln to make his move, which he did.

"IT'S NOT EVEN THAT GOOD!" He shouted, squeezing his eyes shut as he hung his head low. His sisters were silent whilst he continued to talk. "My work, it's not that good. That's why I didn't tell you, alright? I was afraid that… you would show up, see how bad it was, and mock me for it." He frowned, a small tear starting to form. "At first, I was excited, but the more I think about it, the more I think Mr Thompson made a mistake. He's never given a grade that high to anyone, especially me. I don't think my work should be in the gallery. I'm scared I'll just… embarrass myself. Kind of like I always do..."

With that, Lincoln stopped talking, giving his sisters the opportunity to look at each other. None of them seemed certain as to whether or not they should believe him, until Luna stepped forward. Going down on one knee, she used the back of her left hand to gently lift his head up by his chin, so that he had to look her in the eye. When she did, she could see the hurt in his eyes from having said all of that. She noticed the tears he was struggling to hold back and the frown on his face, and it broke her heart. Frowning herself, she looked back at her sisters and told them, "I think he's telling the truth." The rest of his sisters all looked closer at his expression, and their gazes softened, showing they agreed with the rocker. Looking back, Luna asked him, "do you really mean that?" Unable to bring himself to say it as the tears began to stream down, he nodded, hanging his head down. This brought out a collective "Aww" from his sisters, who all looked at him with sympathy. Much to his surprise, as Lincoln looked up, he saw Lynn walk past him and felt her begin to untie the rope. As the knot came undone and his restraints fell loose, he looked at his now free hands, then back to his sisters.

"Lincoln, that's so sad," Lola told him, almost crying.

"Yeah, big brother!" Lana added. "Why would you think that?"

"Well… I just…"

"Well, you don't need to think that," Lori interrupted, giving him a comforting smile. "You're our brother, and we care about you. Give us one reason why we would mock you, or your work."

"Well… I really don't think it's that good."

"Lincoln, if it was Mr Thompson that graded your work, and he gave you an A+, then you definitely deserve it," Luan argued. "No one in my class ever got more than a B+, over all six years. Do you know why?" Lincoln shook his head. "'B+' he's a huge critic!"

While his sisters all groaned at the joke, Lincoln couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "Dude," Luna spoke next, "I think you're worrying over nothing. Seriously, bro, you're a talented guy- I'm sure it's awesome."

"Do you really mean that?" He looked at all of his sisters, and saw them nodding. He felt the tears flowing, but knew that this time they were happy tears. "You guys… I don't know what to say."

"Group hug!" Leni burst out, before they all engaged in a big hug, with Lincoln laughing happily in the middle.

"Thanks, you guys… this means a lot to me." As his sisters released the hug, he yawned. 'Guess it's later than I thought.' "I think I'm gonna turn in for the night. See you in the morning, okay?"

"Goodnight, Lincoln!" They all replied, as Lincoln left the room.


	3. Ch 3- One Last Plan

**(A/N: okay, so I goofed up before. When I first uploaded the previous chapter, I accidentally uploaded the wrong file. I f you saw the previous chapter, and it said 'THE END' at the bottom, that was the wrong one. If you want to, go back and check the real second chapter. Thanks once again for the huge support you guys have given this story, and enjoy!)**

After brushing his teeth and getting changed into his pyjamas, Lincoln laid down on his bed and pulled the covers over his body. His mind at ease after the day's events, he felt his eyes begin to grow heavy, closing shut as his mind became at ease, and he began to dream.

 _Lincoln looked around the gallery as people walked around, examining the different paintings and statues on display. He stood there, wearing his light blue suit, with his sisters and parents around him. They could hear orchestral music being played._

" _And now, if I can have everyone's attention," they heard a man announce, everyone looking towards Mr Thompson as he stood next to a curtain, the rope in one hand and a microphone in the other. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have saved the best for last. By Lincoln Loud," Lincoln beamed with pride as he heard his name, "I present to you… the most EMBARRASSING excuse of a painting I have EVER seen!"_

 _Lincoln's smile dropped instantly as the lights all turned red, and the music turned sinister. Mr Thompson began cackling as he pulled on the rope. Once the painting was unveiled, Lincoln could hear every other person in the gallery cackling as well. His face went pale, as he turned and saw that this included his family too._

" _And I thought I was the comedian!" Luan laughed._

" _This is literally pathetic!" Lori taunted. "I can't believe Lincoln thought this would be good!"_

" _This is like polka music!" Luna guffawed. "And not even good polka at that!"_

" _Lincoln, you're an embarrassment!" He heard his own father say between laughter._

" _I think we should lock him outside again, this is terrible!" Lola sneered, still laughing madly._

 _Unable to take any more insults from his family, he fled the gallery hall. However, when he reached the hallway, he saw his classmates lined on either side, laughing just as hard. He tried running through whilst ignoring the insults, but when he turned the corner, he saw his old friend, Ronnie Anne, wiping a tear out of her eye while she laughed, with her older brother laughing just as hard next to her._

" _I'm glad Bobby and I came back for this, Lame-O," she told him, "it's hilarious how much you suck!"_

" _Yeah, bro!" Bobby added. "That's almost criminal!"_

 _Lincoln turned the other way, running past his other friends, even Clyde, as they taunted him. He saw the front exit and burst through it, only to begin falling down an endless pit, his screaming only just being heard over the boisterous, mocking laughter from everyone. He screamed for his life as the world got further and further away, until…_

Lincoln shot up in his bed with a cacophonous gasp, his heart pounding and his body doused in a cold sweat. He looked around, realising he was in his room. His hand went straight to his chest as he attempted to regain his regular breathing. Looking at the clock, he saw it was half past midnight. He stood up and walked over to his door, opening it just enough to stick his head out. Looking down the landing, he was thankful to see that he hadn't woken any of his sisters. He shut the door and sat on his bed, before looking at the viewer.

"I know that my sisters said they were going to support me," he whispered, "but I just can't help but worry. This is the first time they'll be going to see something I've done… except for the football game, but that was a whole different story. The point is, if they see my work and they don't like it, I'll never hear the end of it. I have to stop this from happening…" His head slowly dropped into his pillow, as his eyelids gently closed. "I have to…"

* * *

"Sorry I couldn't be more help yesterday, Lincoln," Clyde told his friend, as they were walking to school.

"It's okay, Clyde," Lincoln replied, waving it off, "it was bound to happen. Ten sisters under one roof? There was no way I could keep it a secret. Besides, the school sent my parents an email."

"Ah. So, did you persuade your sisters not to go?"

"No. They're all really excited." He sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Well, maybe this is a good thing! You're always going on about how your sisters have so many more trophies and events than you- I know it's not a trophy, but they'll be going to see your work! Plus, they love you so much!"

"I'm not as worried about how much they love me… I'm worried about how they'll react to 'it'." Clyde looked at him, curiously. "What if they think it's bad? They'll mock me for who knows how long!"

"I doubt that. They're your sisters, Lincoln, they care about you and how you feel. If anything, they might laugh when you're not around, but at least commend your effort."

Lincoln looked at him, unimpressed. "Not helping."

"Oh," Clyde smiled meekly, "Sorry."

"It's okay." His expression went straight back to being downcast. "I wish I hadn't agreed for my stupid painting to go in that gallery." They took a few more steps before Lincoln stopped, his eyes widening as he had a eureka moment. "Wait! That's it!" He exclaimed, stopping Clyde too. "Mr Thompson told me that he needed my verbal agreement for my work to go on display tonight."

"So?"

Lincoln smiled. "So, if I ask Mr Thompson not to put my work up, then he'll have no choice but to not put it up! Then, I'll avoid any embarrassment!"

Clyde frowned at the plan. "I don't know, Lincoln. First off, your parents already got the letter, and your sisters know about the gallery. What will you tell them?"

"I'll explain he made a mistake when giving out he grades, and that he put someone else's grade on my review sheet! They'll have to accept that, right?"

"But, it sounds like they'll be really proud of you! Don't you want that?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't think this is how that'll happen." He put a hand on Clyde's shoulder. "I know it sounds crazy, but I need your help with this, buddy. Please… for me?"

Clyde looked at Lincoln's hopeful face, and the pressure caused him to bottle it. "Ugh, you're lucky we're Clincoln McLoud. Fine, I'll help you."

Lincoln's smile grew. "Thanks, Clyde."

"So, how am I supposed to help you?"

"Simple- at lunch, I'll go speak to Mr Thompson. I just need you to tell the guys I'm doing something else, like, going to the bathroom?"

Clyde looked even more confused. "Wait. What does it matter if the guys find out?"

"Well, there's a couple of reasons. First, if Rusty finds out, his little brother Rocky might find out, and he's going out with my sister Lucy- ooh, speaking of which, don't mention any of this Haiku."

"Okaaaaay…"

"Second, if Zach finds out, he might tell Giggles, who is friends with Luan. Plus, Liam still sometimes hangs out with Luna's friend Tabby, and Rusty still likes Polly Pain from Lynn's roller derby team."

"Wow… you put a lot of thought to this over the course of," he glanced at his watch, "one minute and forty-seven seconds."

Lincoln smirked. "That's because I'm the man with the plan."

* * *

Eventually, after a long morning of lessons, the bell for lunch rang. "Alright, class," Mrs Johnson spoke, "that's all for now. Remember that your essays on the colonials is due next Monday. Class dismissed."

As the rest of the class got up to head for lunch, Lincoln and Clyde packed up their stuff and looked at each other. "Are you sure you want to do this, Lincoln?" Clyde asked, hoping for the answer he knew was wrong. "There's no shame in not going through with this."

"I have to, Clyde," Lincoln replied with a determined expression. "If I don't, then we both know what will happen."

Clyde sighed. "I still think this is a bad idea… but, I'll cover for you."

Lincoln smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Clyde." With that, the two of them left the classroom. "I'll see you in about five minutes," he said, with Clyde nodding before they went their separate ways. When at the end of the hall, he took a glance back to see Clyde fulfilling his duty. 'Thanks, Buddy.' Lincoln then turned to go down the adjoining hallway, until he reached the arts classroom. He opened the door, and walked in, looking around for his teacher. "Hello? Mr Thompson?"

"I'll be with you in a second!" He heard the arts teacher call. Lincoln took a seat at one of the art desks, then turned when he heard footsteps and saw the teacher walking towards him, brushing his hands together. "Sorry about that, Lincoln, but I just had a first-grade class, and they forgot to clean up."

"I thought you only taught fourth grade and higher?"

"Normally, I do, but their usual teacher was sick today, so I temped for them."

Lincoln chuckled. 'Knowing the twins, that sounds about right,' he thought to himself.

The teacher sat down opposite the white-haired boy, a kind smile on his face. "What can I help you with?"

Lincoln took a deep breath, before looking at him with a serious face. "I need to talk to you about the gallery tonight."

"Ah, yes, of course! You know, I showed your work to your homeroom teacher, Mrs Johnson? She loved it too!"

"She did?" Lincoln was surprised when the man nodded, but shook his head when he realised what he had come to do. "Look, about tonight-"

"Oh! Hold that thought for a second, I'll be right back." Lincoln watched curiously as the teacher got up and walked away, entering the connecting office. It was only a few seconds before he returned, a yellow sheet of paper in his hand. "In my excitement yesterday, I forgot to give you this."

Lincoln stared at the sheet. "What is it?"

"It's your project review sheet. I know I already gave you your grade, and that it was highest in the class, but it doesn't hurt to have feedback. Here."

He handed the sheet to Lincoln, who began to read.

 **Royal Woods Elementary School Project Review Sheet**

 **Student name: Lincoln Loud**

 **Subject: Art**

 **Grade: 5** **th**

 **Teacher name: Mr H. G. Thompson**

 **Project title: ~~~~~~**

"Sorry about that," the teacher admitted when Lincoln looked up at him, "I must have smudged the ink. It doesn't matter, you know that information anyway."

Lincoln nodded, before returning to reading.

 **Teacher feedback: Lincoln Loud's projects have always been unique, and while his usual work is satisfactory, the piece he submitted for this project has stood out more than any of his previous works. Upon learning his style choice, I admit to having concerns due to my personal dislike towards the style. However, as the piece developed, I became increasingly impressed with Mr Loud's work. His inclusion of his subjects is fantastic, combining them to make each of them stand out while still feeling connected. The combination of the bold colour palette and framing is remarkable. I feel proud to have been Mr Loud's teacher this semester, and he should be equally proud in his achievement.**

 **Result Grade: A+**

Having finished reading, Lincoln sat there, mouth open in surprise. "Do you really mean all of this?" He asked.

"I do, Lincoln. Before this project, your average grade was… well, lower." They both laughed a bit at that. "But, seriously, I think you've done a really good job here. I know this is my second year teaching you, but with every student I teach, I wait for the piece that sets them apart from their peers, and I think this was the one for you. Honestly, if every piece you did was like this, you could be a real artist."

Lincoln's smile grew and grew as he heard those words. "That's so… I mean… thank you so much, sir."

"Not at all, Lincoln. Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

Lincoln's smile dropped, remembering why he was here in the first place. "Oh, yeah. Well, the thing is I…" He stopped, finding himself unable to say what he had originally planned to say. After a few seconds from silence, he spoke again. "What I wanted to ask is… if it would be okay for my whole family to come. After all, my family is quite, well, large."

Mr Thompson chuckled. "Oh, I'm all too familiar with your family. As long as Luan doesn't pull any pranks, you will be fine."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to talk to her about it."

"That's good to hear. Now, run along- it's lunch time."

"I will, and thank you, sir."

With that, Lincoln took his sheet and left. Once he was in the hall, he turned to the viewer. "You know, Clyde was right. I'm still nervous about how my family are going to react to my work… but, after hearing what Mr Thompson really thinks about my work, I can at least be certain that one person likes my work, and sometimes… sometimes, that's all it takes."


	4. Ch 4- Preparing For The Gallery

After washing his hands and grabbing a packed lunch from his locker, Lincoln entered the mess hall. He walked over to his usual table, but was surprised to see how full it was. Rather than just Clyde, Liam, Zach and Rusty, he saw four familiar girls sat opposite them- a goth girl, a clown, a rocker and a roller skater, all in his grade. "Hey, guys!" He greeted, all eight kids looking at him.

"Hey, Lincoln!" Rusty greeted back. "Sorry we couldn't save you a seat, but I kinda invited my girlfriend to join us, and we thought it'd be fun if the other girls joined us too."

"Sorry, bro," Polly told him. "You snooze, you lose."

Lincoln smiled. "It's fine, guys."

"We would have saved you a seat, but you took so long in the bathroom," Zach explained, with Clyde giving Lincoln a wink.

"Boy, you musta had it bad!" Liam added.

"Really, guys, it's fine. Besides, I had to see my art teacher too."

This surprised the eight of them, none more so than Clyde. "Is this about the art gallery?" Haiku inquired, the attention turning to her.

"I'm guessing Lucy told you already," Lincoln remarked, to which the goth nodded.

"What art gallery?" Rusty asked.

"You guys know the last art project we did?" Lincoln explained, getting the four boys to groan. "Well, apparently, Mr Thompson really liked my work, and he wanted to put it in the gallery tonight."

"You're kidding!" Tabby shouted, her shocked face turning into a wide smile. "Lincoln, that's awesome, mate!"

"Yeah, if Mr Thompson liked it, it must be pretty cool!" Rusty added.

"So, what did you say?" Clyde asked the white-haired boy, slightly baffled by the situation, as he knew what Lincoln's original plan was.

"I said yes! I still think he's over exaggerating about how good it was, but things like this don't happen a lot for me."

"Well, you should be very proud, Lincoln!" Giggles commended. "This is a real art-chievement!" She laughed at the joke, with the boys also laughing and the girls rolling their eyes.

"Is your family going with you tonight?" Zach asked, to which he nodded. "Maybe we should all go too!"

Everyone voiced their agreement, then turned to Lincoln, who was surprised by the enthusiastic show of support. "Really? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"Nah, but we want to!" Tabby argued. "I'd love to see your work!"

Again, the others showed their agreement, causing Lincoln to blush and smile. "Wow… I don't know what to say, you guys… I really appreciate that."

"Well, ah know you'd do the same for us," Liam pointed out.

"Thanks, you guys. If you change your mind, then that's okay, but if you really want to, then doors open at half six, and the gallery is on from seven to nine."

"Hey, Lincoln," Zach spoke up. "If you already knew about the gallery, why did you need to go see Mr Thompson?"

"Oh! Well, I had to make sure my family were okay to come- you know how big my family is." Everyone had a chuckle at this. "Plus, he forgot to give me my review sheet."

"Hey, Lincoln, do you want me to budge up?" Clyde offered.

"That's okay, Clyde, you don't have to-"

"Forget about it, Lincoln!" Rusty interrupted. "We'll all scooch, it's no problem."

"Yeah! That way, we can tell you what Polly did at roller derby practice," Giggles added.

Polly frowned. "I thought you were done with that story," she grumbled.

Haiku put a hand on her shoulder. "Polly, we're your best friends- that means we will never stop embarrassing you." Everyone laughed, while Lincoln sat down next to Zach on the end. For the rest of lunch, Lincoln happily conversed with his friends, almost forgetting about the gallery for the time being while he ate. It wasn't long until the end of lunch bell rang. "We better head back to class."

"See you later, boys!" Giggles beamed, waving at them.

"Yeah, we'll see you at the gallery, Lincoln!" Tabby added.

The boys all said bye to the girls as they walked away. "We better get going too," Liam pointed out, "Mrs Johnson will be mad if we're late."

"Me and Lincoln will catch up," Clyde pointed out.

"Okay, but don't be too long," Rusty warned. "You know what happens when you're late."

Lincoln and Clyde nodded. Once the three redheads were out of earshot, Clyde and Lincoln stood up and began to walk away, the former turning to his best friend. "So, what happened with Mr Thompson? I thought you were going to ask him to take your work OUT of the gallery."

"Well, I was at first," Lincoln explained, the two walking up to their lockers, "but then he gave me the review sheet for my work, and once I read through it, I felt… proud. Like, for the first time in my life, I had accomplished something."

"Now, come on, Lincoln. You've achieved so much, and you don't even realise it." He out his arm around the white-haired boy's shoulder, while he opened his locker. "You have ten sisters, two parents and a whole bunch of friends who would vouch for it."

"I know, Clyde, I know. It's just… well…" He pulled out a yellow sheet of paper and handed it to Clyde. "Read it." Clyde obliged, his eyes scrolling down the page and taking in every word, and by the time he was done, he looked at Lincoln with wide eyes and his mouth slightly ajar. "You see? When I read that, I felt more proud than I ever had before." He began to rub the back of his arm. "I'm still really nervous about how everyone else will react, my sisters especially, but knowing that just one person likes my work THAT much… I'm starting to feel more confident. And hey, even if it isn't that well received, I can at least say I put my work out there." He looked at Clyde again, and saw him smirking. "You can say it."

"Say what?"

"You were right."

"Now why would I say that? For one thing, it would mean more if I say it tonight, when everyone sees how good your work is." Lincoln chuckled at that. "But I'm just glad that you're giving it a shot. And even if the others don't show up, I'll be there for you, buddy."

Lincoln gave Clyde a quick hug. "Thanks, Clyde."

After returning to class and getting through the rest of his lessons, Lincoln returned home with the rest of his family. They had dinner early, which was everyone's favourite- their dad's Lynn-sagna. After all getting their fill, Lynn Sr. stood up at the table. "Alright, kids! You have until six fifteen to get ready for the gallery. That means homework done, and dressed ready to be out the door. Do you all understand?"

"Yes, sir!" They all replied.

"Alright! Now, off you go! And remember, no pranking, Luan!"

"Got it!" The comedian quickly replied.

The kids all stood and rushed away from the table, except for Lily, who remained in her high chair, and Lincoln, who almost sauntered up the steps. He reached the top, and turned to head towards his room, before he heard Lori call out. "Hold it!" He stopped in his tracks, before turning to face the eldest sister, with his other sisters around her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Uh, my room?" He answered nervously. "I don't have any homework to do, so I kinda planned to relax a bit in my room before the gallery… if that's okay?"

"Well, those plans have now changed," Lola responded. "Do you really want to turn up to your first gallery, smelling like… well, you?"

"What are you talking about? I smell fine!" He took a sniff of his armpit to prove it, but ended up cringing slightly. "Actually… maybe I could use a shower."

"Well, the bathroom is all yours, Linky!" Leni told him, opening the door.

"Really?" They all nodded. "Oh, uh, thanks! I guess…"

"Well, you better not be too long," Luan told him, walking next to her brother. "You don't want us to shout-er at you!" She laughed like she usually did, the others groaning. "Get it? But, seriously, get a move on!"

His sisters all shoved him into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He blinked in surprise, then turned to the viewer. "Well, that was… unexpected," he monologued. "Still, better not keep them waiting. Dad said we leave at quarter past six, which means we have approximately eighty minutes to get ready, and with ten siblings, that means shower time will have to be short."

Without any further delay, Lincoln got in the shower. He was quick to get done, taking just under five minutes to use shower gel, shampoo his hair, and rinse his body. After turning off the water, he stepped out of the shower, dried himself off and used deodorant, before wrapping a towel around his waist. Unlocking the door, he stepped out and began to walk down the landing, only to be yanked by his arm into Lori and Leni's room.

"Woah! What's going on!" He yelled, startled.

"Lincoln, relax, it's us!" Lori told him, and when he looked, he saw that she was the one who had dragged him in.

"Oh… erm, why have you brought me in here?"

"Linky," he heard Leni say, noticing she was carrying a measuring tape round her neck, "This is going to be a big night for you. Plus, it's a gallery, which should be super fancy!"

"Leni, remember that it's a SCHOOL gallery, not like a museum or proper gallery."

"Regardless, it's important you make the right impression."

"Leni's right, little brother," Lori added. "People are coming tonight to see your work-"

"Well, it won't just be my-"

"And they'll want to ask questions about your work. While your usual wardrobe is good for going to school, you need to look more… professional tonight."

"Guys, I appreciate the effort, but-"

"No problem, little bro!"

Lincoln groaned, defeated. "Alright, fine. Just let me go grab some underwear."

"Way ahead of you!" Leni chirped, holding out a pair of underwear and a ball of socks. "There's no time to lose, so put them on!"

"What, here?" Lori and Leni nodded, causing Lincoln's face to turn crimson. "A-A-Alright… just… make sure the door is locked, and… turn around."

Lori smirked. "Aww… is little Lincoln shy?" She teased, pinching his cheek which reddened furiously. "Alright, we won't look."

"Thanks." He watched as Lori locked the door, then walked over to her roommate, the ditzy sister throwing the delicates to her younger brother, before the two blondes turned around giggling. Lincoln was quick to get his underwear on under his towel, then removed the towel and put on his socks. "Alright, I'm ready."

The two older sisters turned back around. "Okay, Linky, you know the drill." Lincoln nodded, walking over and stepping on the mini platform. Leni immediately got to work, rushing into her closet and pulling out two bags. "So, Lori, which shirt would work better on him?"

"Wait, you bought me new clothes for this?" Lincoln asked, the two sisters nodding. "Guys, you really didn't have to."

"It's really not a problem, Lincoln," Lori told him. "This is a big night for you, so we wanted to make it special. Besides, we had a free period, and the store isn't that far from the high school." Lincoln smiled bashfully, while Leni pulled the two shirts out- one white and one orange. She held the white shirt against him, then pulled it back and held the orange shirt against him. Lori put her hand against her chin. "You know, I think the orange shirt works better. The white shirt looks too formal, and it doesn't work as well with his hair."

"You're totes right," Leni replied, nodding. "The orange shirt will make him look more fun, too."

"So, should I put the orange shirt on?" Lincoln asked. Leni nodded, handing him the shirt, which he proceeded to slip over his head, sliding his hands through the sleeves. Looking down at his hands, he noticed that the sleeves were a bit long. "Uh, Leni?"

"Yeah?" He held up his hands, showing her the problem. "Oh, that's no worry. Hold on one second." She unbuttoned the sleeve buttons and rolled it up to see how much she would need to shorten it by. "Alright. Just give me the shirt, and I'll have it tailored in about ten minutes."

"Okay." He took the shirt off and handed it to Leni, who placed it neatly on her bed. "So, what next?"

"Well, pants, of course!" She reached into the same bag and pulled out a pair of grey dress pants. Handing them to Lincoln, who slid his legs into them, before doing up the zip and and button. Looking at her little brother, she smiled. "Yay! They fit perfectly, and look great!"

"You think?" Lincoln asked, before looking in the mirror and seeing that she was, in fact, right. "Wow… I guess they do."

"Of course they do! Now, Linky," she reached into her other bag to pull out a black belt and a shoe box, "it's up to you if you want the belt."

He took the belt and put it on, before looking in the mirror. "You know, I think I'll go for the belt. It looks good."

She nodded. "Great. Now, I'll take them back for the moment, so that they don't get creased before the gallery, but first," she opened the shoe box, revealing a pair of white skate shoes, "make sure these fit."

"Oh, Leni, you really didn't have to do all this! I feel bad now.l

Leni frowned. "Oh, Linky, don't feel bad." She put the shoe box down, and kneeled down to place her hands on his shoulders. "I would have done this for you any time. I just want tonight to be special for you."

"I, I know… I do appreciate this, really. I just feel like you're doing so much for me, and I can't do something this big for you."

She smiled. "Lincoln, where do you think I got all this?" He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "I got these from the store I work at. Don't forget, I have a fifty percent discount. But, even if I didn't have that discount, I still would've done this for you, because I got the greatest job in the world thanks to the greatest brother in the world."

"You mean it?" She nodded, before he wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. "You're too good to me, Leni. Thank you."

"It's no problem, Linky."

"Ahem." They looked at Lori, who was a little peeved. Chuckling, they opened their arms up for Lori to join them in the hug. A few seconds later, they loosened the hug. "Now, since it'll be a short while before we get the shower again, let Leni check if the shoes fit, and I'll see what we can do with your hair."


	5. Ch 5- It All Sinks In

**(A/N: sorry for the reupload, but I think there was a problem with uploading this earlier that meant it wasn't seen properly. I won't upload this again, so if you've already read this chapter, my apologies.**

 **Honestly, you guys are incredible! Thanks to your immense support, this story has become my most followed story yet, and is my second most favourited! I cannot thank you guys enough, you have no idea how happy this makes me! This means a lot to me, so I'll make sure not to disappoint. Thank you so much, and enjoy!)**

It was currently five past six, ten minutes before they were scheduled to leave. While his sisters and parents were down stairs waiting, ready to go, Lincoln was still in his room. "What's taking him so long?" Lola complained.

"Relax, kids," Lynn Sr. assured, "we've still got time."

"Honey, do you think one of us should go see if he's ready?" Rita asked her husband.

"Perhaps."

"I got it, Pop Star," Luna spoke up, before heading up the stairs, turning and walking towards Lincoln's room. "Yo, Link!" Luna called into the room, knocking on the door. "Pops wants to know if you're good to go!"

"Just… give me a minute, Luna," he called back, his voice sounding uncertain.

'Something's up with him,' she thought, her brow furrowed. Opening the door, she stepped in and saw that he was sat on the bed, fully dressed, looking at his hands which were held together on his lap. "Hey, bro, you okay?" He nodded, but she wasn't convinced, so she sat down next to him, giving a little nudge to his shoulder. "Come on, Link, I can tell something's troubling you. What's up?"

He sighed, not shifting his gaze. "I don't know," he began. "I'm just…"

"Nervous?" He nodded. "Dude, that's natural. I was when I had my first concert, just like Luan was at her first comedy gig, or Lynn at her first basketball game, or Lola at her first pageant." She pulled him closer, wrapping her arm over his shoulder. "Look, this is how I see it- the painting is already on display, right?" Slowly, he nodded. "And you're nervous about how people will react, right?" She got the same reaction. "Well, how will you know if you don't see for yourself? Lincoln, you've already took a huge step by letting it be out in the gallery. All that's left is the easy part." She twisted his body slightly so he could look her in the eye, and see her reassuring smile. "Let me tell you what's gonna happen. You're gonna go down there, you're gonna check out the other works on display, and you're gonna chat with your friends, who are gonna tell you just how awesome your work is, just like we are."

"You mean it?"

"Would I lie to you?"

He finally smiled at her. "Thanks, Luna. I'm glad you guys are gonna be there with me."

"Bring it in, bro!" She gave him a big hug, before they stood up, the rocker looking at her brother's appearance, with his hair slicked back. "Y'know, you clean up pretty good, bro!"

He blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, but it's all thanks to Leni and Lori." He then took note of her appearance- her usual purple shirt underneath a black0 leather jacket, purple skinny jeans with her usual boots, and her regular paperclip earrings. "You know, you look pretty good too."

"Gotta look good for my bro's big night! So, you ready?"

"I'll be just a minute, I'm gonna see if Clyde's ready."

"You got it, dude."

Once his older sister was out of the room, Lincoln grabbed his walker from the table. "Clyde? Are you there?"

It was a few seconds before he heard a reply. _"Lincoln?"_ He heard Clyde answer. _"What's up?"_

"Hey, Clyde. I was just calling to… Well, talk I guess."

" _You're nervous, aren't you?"_

"Yep. That much has been established."

Lincoln heard Clyde chuckle on the other end. _"Lincoln, you're going to be fine. I'm gonna be there with you, I'm sure the others will, and you've got your whole family with you. If there's one thing Dr Lopez told me that could help you right now, it's that 'if you keep thinking about what could be, you won't realise what really is'."_

This just confused Lincoln. "What does that mean?"

" _Stop worrying about what people could think, and enjoy the opportunity."_

"Yeah… yeah, you're right. Thanks, Clyde."

" _Anytime, buddy. I better go, my dad says we need to get going."_

"Alright. I'll see you there, Clyde."

With that, Lincoln put down the walkie. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he took a deep breath and smiled. "I can do this," he told himself, before walking out of his room. He walked across the landing and down the stairs. When he looked into the living room, he saw all of his family stood waiting for him. Looking at his parents, Lola and Lily, he saw that they were dressed as the usually were, but looking at his sisters, he was surprised at how well they (other than Luna) were dressed- Lori in the outfit Bobby's cousin Carlota picked out for her when she first visited the Casagrande's, with a matching clutch bag; Leni in a shirt dress in the same shade of green as her usual dress, with her regular sunglasses on her head; Luan in the yellow dress she wore to see Lucy perform at the Royal Woods Theatre; Lynn in a white shirt and red skirt, with a red windbreaker over a white t-shirt, and red sneakers; Lucy in the dress she wore to perform at the Royal Woods Theatre; Lana in a teal shirt and grey skirt, with grey shoes and her hair down, but still wearing her cap; and Lisa in the emerald dress she wore to the opera. "Wow, guys! You look great!"

"Don't I always?" Lola boasted, prompting everyone else to roll their eyes and groan, except for Lincoln, who just chuckled.

"Seriously, you didn't need to go to this much trouble just for some gallery."

"Not true, elder brother," Lisa refuted. "While you are correct that the concept of a gallery is not new, there is significance in this particular showcase of one of the fine arts, in that it is the first that we shall attend which we have any emotional attachment to." She adjusted her glasses and gave an honest smile. "To put it more simply, it is not the gallery which matters to us, but you. As our brother, it is both our duty and our privilege to provide support and see your work on display."

"Aww!" Her sisters cooed, while Lincoln smiled, trying not to cry.

"Lisa… thank you." He looked at the rest of his sisters. "Thank you all, really. I know I originally tried to hide it from you, and I'm sorry I did that, but… I'm really glad you're gonna be there tonight." It was his sisters' turn to resist the temptation to cry, so he opened up his arms. "Come here."

They all rushed together to have a big group hug, Lincoln feeling a warmth in his heart. They held the hug for a few seconds, before releasing it, so Lincoln could walk up to his smiling parents. "Lincoln, you look so handsome," Rita complimented, holding a hand against her heart.

"Thanks, mom," he replied.

"Lincoln, just know that we are so proud of you," Lynn Sr. added.

"I know. Thanks, dad."

"Uh, mom? Dad?" Lori spoke up. "It's almost quarter past."

"Oh! Right!" Lynn cleared his throat, before turning to the girls. "Alright, everyone. Remember that tonight is a big night, and we will be in a public place, so be on your best behaviour. That means no fighting, no shouting, no _pranks_ ," he looked specifically at Luan, "and, since this is an art gallery, it should go without saying that there will be absolutely NO touching the art. Are we clear?"

"Yes, dad!" They all responded, making their father smile.

"In that case, let's go!" The family filed out of the house and into the car, with the girls allowing Lincoln to have the sweet spot. Once the house door was locked, Rita and Lynn got in the front seats, with the former securing Lily in her booster seat. Once he and his wife were buckled in, the Loud patriarch turned around in his seat. "Is everyone strapped in?"

"YES!" They all called out.

"Alright! Here we go!"

With that, he began to drive. As the car began to go down the road, Lincoln looked at the viewer, ignoring the antics his sisters got up to. "Well, I guess this is it," he told the viewer. "Normally, people would say something like 'it felt like only yesterday that I found out'. Of course, in my case, it actually WAS yesterday." He chuckled to himself. "Still, it feels… weird. Almost like this is a dream, and that I'm going to wake up any second and none of this will have mattered. Yet, at the same time, I can tell it's real. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it."

"So, lil' bro," he heard Luna ask from next to him, "you excited?"

"Kind of. Honestly, I'm still trying to realise that this is happening."

"Well, you literally better believe it," Lori advised. "This is a big night for you, so enjoy it."

"I know, I know it is. Still, it's pretty incredible. I never would have expected this to happen."

"Why not?" Leni asked.

"Yeah, don't you remember when you won that comic book contest?" Lana pointed out.

"While I don't understand the attraction to the medium, it was definitely worthy of being the winner," Lisa added.

"Yeah, Lincoln! And they call me a comic!" Luan quipped, her signature laugh following while her siblings groaned. "Get it? Seriously, though, I'm really excited to see your work, little bro!"

"Hey," Lynn Jr. spoke up, realising something. "You haven't told us what your piece actually is!"

The other sisters all blinked at the sudden realisation, before they all began to bombard him with questions about his work. The white-haired boy shrunk in his seat, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. "Well, uh… I mean… uh…"

"Alright, kids, that's enough!" Rita called out, silencing their questioning. "Let's not overwhelm him. Besides, won't it be better if it's a surprise?" They all grumbled but reluctantly agreed, some of them apologising for pressuring Lincoln. "That's better. Now, we'll be there in about ten to fifteen minutes, so sit tight."

For the rest of the journey, Lincoln returned to looking out the window. The closer they got to the school, the more he realised that it was actually real, and as he became more accustomed with that fact, he felt a small, uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach, which slowly grew. He wasn't sure if it was nerves or if he needed to be sick, but by the time they arrived at the school, he could barely focus on anything else. He looked paler, and his forehead felt sweaty.

"Alright, kids! We're here!" Lynn Sr. announced, as he pulled up in front of the school. "You guys get out here, and I'll go park Vanzilla."

Everyone quickly filed out of the car. After everyone was out and they watched him drive away, Rita turned to the girls. "Alright, everyone. Let's go inside."

The girls all quickly followed their mother inside. Lori, however, looked back and saw Lincoln stood still, looking upwards. She nudged Luna and Leni, both of them looking back and seeing the same thing. "Mom, we'll be back in a second," the eldest daughter explained, before the three of them walked over to the boy. They stood next to him, following his gaze to the banner that read 'Royal Woods Elementary School Art Gallery'. "It's a lot to take in, huh, Lincoln?" She told him gently.

"Yeah," he replied, not shifting his gaze. "I feel… funny."

"Actually, Linky, you do look a bit pale," Leni told him, looking concerned. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack of tissues. "Here."

She handed him the pack. "Thanks." He took one tissue out of the pack to wipe the sweat from his brow, placing the rest in his trouser pocket for later.

"Feel like there's something in your stomach that's tryna fight its way out?" Luna asked. He nodded with an audible gulp. "Don't worry about it, bro. Once you're in there, and you see all your friends and talk with them, you'll realise it's just like any other day."

"I know, but… it's kind of scary, you know?"

The three sisters couldn't help but find it cute, so they crouched down to his height. "What is it that's scaring you so much?" Lori asked.

"Well… I don't know if I can say."

"Please, Linky?" Leni begged. He looked at her and saw she was pulling the 'puppy dog eyes' trick, and just like always, he buckled to it.

"Okay, okay." He took a deep breath. "I'm scared that… well…"

His sisters looked at him patiently. "Yeah?"

"It's just that… I'm worried that I'm just gonna… mess up."

Lori looked at him sceptically. "That's literally ridiculous, Lincoln. First of, how could you possibly mess up at an art gallery? And second, why would you think that?"

"Well… okay, I don't know about the how, but… it feels like every time I try and do something, y'know, well, I guess… I either end up saying something to make me look stupid, or doing something, or… plus, this is the first time that you've all come to see something I've done, rather than the other way round."

"What are you talking about?" Leni asked. "We came for your big football match, remember?"

"Uh, Leni?" Luna interrupted, tapping her on the shoulder. "It was Lynn we saw playing, remember?"

"Leni's got a point," Lori argued on her sister's behalf. "It might have been Lynn that was playing on his behalf- even if we didn't realise it at first- we went there to see Lincoln." She looked down at her little brother. "Because you literally mean the world to us."

"Yeah, dude," Luna put her hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "If not for you, then none of us would be here. We'd be at home, doing the same thing we always do." She leaned in a bit, looking him in the eyes with a warm, caring smile. "And you don't have to worry about embarrassing yourself tonight. Sure, it happens to people from time to time, but that's just part of life. And once everyone sees your painting, and you hear how much they love it, all your nerves will just float away."

"But… what if they don't?"

Luna chuckled. "You say that like it's a possibility. But, knowing how great you are, I don't think that's a possibility."

He blushed a little from the compliment. "Thanks, Luna."

"So, Lincoln… you ready to take that first step?" Lori asked. He nodded. "Alright, let's go."


	6. Ch 6- The Gallery Opens

The four of them entered the school building. Walking in, they were greeted by a couple of teachers, who showed them where to go. Upon entering the lunch hall, they saw a small refreshments table, so they walked up to it, accepting the free drinks available- coffee for the girls, and orange juice for Lincoln. While his sisters looked for the rest of their family, Lincoln spotted Clyde, Rusty, Zach, Liam and the girls at a nearby table. Looking up to his sisters, he told them, "I'm gonna go chat with my friends for a bit."

"Alright, Lincoln," Lori encouraged, "we'll let mom and dad and the others know."

Lincoln nodded, before he walked over to join them. The three girls smiled on as they watched their little brother, feeling a wave of relief as he began happily chatting with them.

"Is it just me, or does this feel a little weird?" Leni pointed out. "Like, not bad weird, but good weird?"

"I'd say it feels… new," Lori answered. "I mean, it has been a while since we went to a 'first' show."

Leni scrunched her eyebrows together, confused. "What do you mean, 'first' show?"

"You know, like Lola's first pageant, or Lucy's first poetry reading, or Lynn's first hockey game."

"Yeah, only this time, it's Lincoln's first gallery," Luna pointed out. "And, yeah, it does feel new, which makes it a little bit funky, but at the same time, I can't help but feel proud."

"I know… Who knows? If things go well, Lincoln might be inviting us to more of his shows in the future?" The three of them giggled at the prospect, but stopped before they got too far ahead of themselves. "But, still, even if this doesn't work out for him, then he can at least enjoy tonight."

With that, the three of them joined their family. Everyone continued talking amongst themselves, until a single voice could be heard over it all.

"Excuse me, everyone!" The crowd turned to see Mr Thompson, with a microphone in his hand. There were a couple of men near the door with cameras, but the crowd was more interested in what the teacher had to say. "Thank you all for coming! I know that you are all excited to see what works of art the students have created, so please follow me to the gymnasium." Everyone who was sat down stood up, as the crowd of teachers, students, parents and family members followed the art teacher through the hallway until they reached the gymnasium. Once there, everyone could see the large number of displays available, including one near the entrance with a single painting covered in a red curtain, and began to murmur amongst themselves. "Now, I know that you are all excited to see the art on display, but if I may talk to you quickly before you do so. First of all, I would like to introduce someone to you all."

After he said that, a forty-something-year-old woman with blonde hair and brown eyes behind glasses, wearing a grey cardigan over a white shirt, grey trousers and black heeled shoes, stepped forward. She shook hands with the art teacher, before taking the microphone. "Thank you, Mr Thompson," she told him, before turning to the crowd while he joined them. "Hello, everyone! My name is Sarah, and I am the curator at the Royal Woods National Gallery. It's my job to acquire pieces from artists, both famous and local, to go on display. We will soon be opening a youth exhibit to showcase the best art from promising young artists in the area, and as a former student at Royal Woods Elementary, I just knew that I wanted to display the best this school had to offer. Now, while only one piece that you see in this gallery," she pointed at the red curtain, "will become part of that exhibit, I can happily say that all of the pieces on display tonight are marvellous! So, please, give a round of applause for those talented young artists!"

The crowd, as well as Mr Thompson, all applauded. Lori, looking over at Lincoln, saw that he was a little more relaxed, which made her smile, before returning to look at the curator. "Now, without further ado," the art teacher announced, "I can announce that the student, who both myself and the entire faculty at this school, believe produced the best piece of art… from the 5th grade, a young man by the name of Lincoln Loud! Lincoln, would you join me up here?"

The crowd applauded, while Lincoln just stood there in shock. 'Did… did he just say…' was all his brain could muster before he felt something pushing him. Snapping out of his daze, he turned and saw Clyde trying to usher him towards the curator, with his friends also beckoning him on. He gulped, before putting on a somewhat nervous smile as he passed through the crowd, who parted to allow him to reach the curator. Sarah smiled at the boy, extending a hand which he graciously shook, before she turned him to face the crowd. He could hear some of his family cheering for him, which gave him slightly more confidence.

"Congratulations, young man!" She spoke into the microphone, yet looking at him. "How do you feel?"

She held the microphone to him. "Uh… a bit confused?" He nervously admitted, eliciting a collective chuckle from everyone in the gymnasium. "I mean, obviously I'm happy, I'm just… well, confused."

Sarah chuckled softly. "You're too modest. The second I saw your piece, I fell in love with it, and knew it was perfect for the exhibit." She ushered him towards the red curtain. "Behind this curtain is your work, so would you care to do the honours of unveiling it to the crowd?"

He looked back at the crowd, who were encouraging him to do so, before nodding. "Sure." He took a hold of the rope attached to the curtain, and took a deep breath. 'Three… two… one…' With a gentle yet swift pull, he revealed his painting, and squeezed his eyes shut… only to open them when he realised that the crowd was applauding it, with his friends cheering him on, and his family looking on in amazement.

 _His painting was, in fact, a comic book styled piece, with him and his sisters each in their own frame- Lori at the top, smirking confidently with her arms crossed, phone in one hand; Leni in the top left with a sewing needle; Luna in the top right, jamming out on her guitar; Luan below Luna, preparing to throw a cream pie; Lynn below Leni, preparing to throw a football; Lana below Lynn, with a wrench in her hand, Hops on her head under her hat; Lola below Luan, performing a ribbon dance; Lucy in the bottom left, reading a crystal ball; Lisa in the bottom right, mixing chemicals; Lily at the bottom, sucking her thumb while holding her blanket; and Lincoln in the middle, smiling happily. Each of their frames was in their favourite colours, with their skins being a lighter shade of their respective background colour, plus distinct blank lines for their outlines. Below the painting was a small plaque that read '"The People Around Me" by Lincoln Loud'._

Lincoln, seeing the positive reaction he was receiving, smiled while the two men with cameras took some pictures. Once the acclaim he received had died down, Sarah turned to him again. "Lincoln, if you don't mind, would you be willing to tell us a bit about your piece?" She asked.

"Sure," he replied. "Well, this was from the most recent project we had, called 'The People Around Me'. When we were told about the project, one of the first things I decided was as to who my piece would be about," he looked over at my family, "and that's my sisters."

"I can imagine ten sisters would be a handful, huh?"

Lincoln chuckled. "More than you could imagine! And sure, we drive each other crazy from time to time… but they're the greatest sisters a guy could ask for. They mean the world to me, and I love them dearly."

The crowd swooned at the statement, and Lincoln noticed his sisters trying to fight back tears. "So," Sarah continued, "tell me, Lincoln. What inspired this style choice?"

"Well, I'm a pretty big comic book fan, with my all-time favourite series being Ace Savvy. I've probably read every issue made since I was five years old. Anyway, when I was at home reading the newest issue of Ace, it reminded me of the time I entered a contest to design an original comic based on the series. For it, I designed original characters known as the Full House Gang, who I based on my sisters. Thanks to that, I realised that it was the best way to show off my sisters' individual personalities. As for the colour scheme, well those are our favourite colours."

"I see. I must add, I love how you've arranged yourself and your sisters- not only does it out a new twist on the title of the piece, but it really shows the connection between you and your sisters." He didn't know what to say, so he smiled meekly, rubbing the back of his arm. The blonde woman's smile grew. "You know, Lincoln, I like you. You seem down to Earth, and real. Not all artists are like that these days- hold onto that." He nodded, while she turned to the crowd. "Not only will mister Loud's work go in my gallery when the youth exhibit opens, but also, I believe Mr Thompson has something to give this young man."

Lincoln turned and gasped, his eyes widening, almost unable to hear the applause as he saw his art teacher approach with a mahogany shield-shaped plaque, with a slightly smaller black metal shield with a golden outline on it. There were two gold paintbrushes in an 'X' shape at the top, and the shield read, engraved in gold:

 **Royal Woods Elementary**

 **Young Artist Award**

 **Lincoln Loud**

 **5th Grade**

Lincoln looked up at the man in shock, the teacher proudly smiling at the boy. "Well done, Lincoln," he told the boy over the applause.

"Th-thank you, sir," Lincoln was able to get out, a tear welling in his eye as he accepted the award.

"Now," Sarah announced, "just because there's one amazing painting doesn't mean there aren't more, so by all means! The Royal Woods Elementary School art gallery is open! Go and enjoy yourselves!"

While the majority of the crowd dispersed to view the rest of the art, his family watched on proudly as Lincoln posed for a couple of photos with Sarah and Mr Thompson, his face positively beaming. He looked up at them, exchanging a few more words, before the woman took her leave. The teacher walked up to Mr and Mrs Loud, still smiling proudly. "Mr and Mrs Loud! So glad you could make it!"

"We wouldn't miss it for anything!" Lynn Sr. replied, shaking the teacher's hand.

"And I see that his 'muses' have come as well!" The sisters all blushed at the use of the word 'muse', much to his amusement. "Well, if there's anything either of you two would like to ask me about Lincoln's work throughout the year, feel free to ask!"

While the three adults talked among themselves, the nine sisters (sans Lily) surrounded their brother, all smiling from ear to ear. "Lincoln, that was literally incredible!" Lori commended him. "Your speech nearly made us cry."

"Really?" He asked. "You think so?"

"Lincoln, your painting is awesome!" Lana practically shouted. "I love it!"

"Yeah, bro!" Lynn added. "How have you hidden this from us all this time?"

Lincoln gently rubbed his foot on the floor. "Well, most of the other projects haven't really suited me as well. You've all seen my mugs for Mother's Day." They all laughed at that. "But, yeah. I guess I just did better than usual this time!"

"Lincoln, you need to stop selling yourself short, dude!" Luna encouraged. "I'm gonna have to ask you to design my album cover one day!"

"Yeah! It's a real 'stroke' of genius!" Luan added as she laughed her signature laugh. "Get it?" Their sisters groaned, while Lincoln chuckled. "Seriously, though, we all love it!"

"And we're, like, totes flattered that you did it about us!" Leni told her little brother. "That was so sweet of you."

"Well, you guys are the closest people in my life! I couldn't really think of anyone better to do the project about!"

"While I am by no means a connoisseur of the arts," Lisa spoke up, "I can at least appreciate the subjective nature of art's appreciation." Lincoln blinked, looking at her blankly. "In more common terminology, to each is their own. As for myself, while I still don't understand the appeal to the medium of comic books, I really admire your work, elder brother."

'That's probably the best compliment she's ever given me,' Lincoln thought. "Thanks, Lis'."

"I must agree," Lucy spoke next with a modest smile, surprisingly not scaring everyone for once. "Even I need a break from the darkness on occasion, and your painting has brought me great joy."

"Hmm… couldn't I be prettier?" Lola asked, causing her nine sisters to glare at her before she rolled her eyes and smile at Lincoln. "Relax, I'm kidding! It's perfect, big brother."

Lincoln allowed a couple of tears to escape, causing Luna to frown. "Link, what's wrong?"

"You guys…" he started, his voice wavering slightly. "I still can't believe all this is happening, but I'm glad it is. And, more importantly, I'm so glad you came. You guys… you guys are the best…"

"Aww!" They all cooed, before wrapping their arms around him in a big hug, all happy in the embrace, with none more so than the white-haired boy. They held the hug for a good few seconds, before releasing when their parents and Lily came over.

"Lincoln," Rita spoke as she approached her son, "I could not be more proud of you right now."

"She's right, son," Lynn Sr. added. "Did you know any of that was going to happen?" Lincoln shook his head, causing Lynn to chuckle while patting his son on the shoulder. "Well, you should be really proud of yourself."

"'Inky!" Lily called out, reaching for her brother. Lincoln handed his plaque to his father, before accepting the baby from their mother, with Lily hugging him.

"Do you like my painting, Lily?" He asked, taking the following giggle as a sign that she did. "I'm glad you did."

"Why don't you kids go and look around at the rest of the art?" Their father suggested. "We'll keep your plaque safe, and when we get home, we'll let you put it in the trophy cabinet."

"That sounds great, dad." Lincoln turned to his sisters. "Is it okay if I go and find Clyde and the others?"

"Of course, Lincoln," Lori told him, taking Lily out of his arms. "It's your night- enjoy it." He nodded, before heading over to his friends, who immediately began to commend the 'artist'. While Luan, Lana and Lola went off as one group, and Lynn, Lucy and Lisa went off as another group, the three eldest siblings and Lily stood there for a few seconds, watching their brother proudly. "I literally couldn't be any happier than I am right now."

"I totally agree," Leni responded. "He looks so happy, and that outfit looks great on him."

"I think this will be good for the dude in the future," Luna spoke up. "Not only does he have something that he can be really proud of with what he's achieved, but maybe he can use this to find out… who he is."

The two blondes nodded. "Well, no matter what comes of this," Lori told her sisters, "he can always look back on this with a smile. And we will always love him."

"Without question," Luna agreed.

"Our little Linky…"


	7. Epilogue- A Gift

It was about ten o'clock when Lincoln woke up that Saturday when Lincoln woke up. As his eyes gently fluttered open , he let out a quiet yawn. He sat up in his bed, stretching his back, then looked at the viewer. "Well, the gallery turned out to be a success!" He spoke to the viewer. "I know, looking back, that I probably didn't have anything to worry about, but I'm not used to having people come to see something that I've done." He stood up from the bed, stretching his arms upwards. "Thankfully, my family and friends were there to support me. I don't know if I would have gotten through it on my own."

He grabbed a towel and dressing gown, then opened the door, and was surprised to see that the landing was completed empty and silent. "Huh. That's… new." He shrugged, then walked towards the bathroom, looking back to the viewer. "Well, I'm at least thankful my family didn't make a big deal of it. Things have been pretty much normal since that night, apart from a couple of people at school saying how good they thought it was." He chuckled softly as he reached the bathroom door and opened it, stepping inside before closing the door behind him. "Still, I'm glad I didn't take it out of the gallery- I probably would have regretted it if I did. Just goes to show that, sometimes, you have to take the risk."

With that, he used the shower. Once he was clean, dried and deodorised, and the shower was off, he left in his dressing gown, and returned to his room to get changed. He left his room five minutes later, fully clothed, and headed downstairs. Walking through the dining room, he entered the kitchen, seeing his mother drinking her coffee. She smiled when she saw her son. "Good morning, sweetie!" She greeted.

"Morning, mom!" He greeted back, walking over to the fridge.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Good." He pulled out a carton of orange juice and an egg, then placed the carton on the side before approaching the oven. He cracked the egg into a pan and turned on the stove, before grabbing a slice of bread and putting it in the toaster. "Hey, mom?" He asked while frying his egg. "Are the girls busy today?"

"Hmm… not that I know of, hon. Why do you ask?"

"I just thought it seemed… quiet today."

Her eyebrows raised slightly. "Well, now that you mention it, it has been rather quiet today. Did you guys do anything last night?" Lincoln shook his head. "Huh. Well, maybe they're just tired, sweetie."

"I guess." He returned his thoughts to the egg frying in front of him, while his father entered the room.

"Morning, Honey!" He greeted his wife, then turned to look at Lincoln. "Hey, champ!"

"Hey, dad!"

"Lynn, do you know where the girls are?" Rita asked.

"They should be upstairs. Why?"

"Well, they're just really quiet."

The man could only shrug as he poured a cup of coffee for himself. Lincoln heard the toaster, so he grabbed the piece of toast and placed it on a plate. He turned off the stove when he saw that the egg was ready, and slid the fried egg onto the the plate, placing the pan in the sink. He began to butter the toast, when Lynn turned to him. "Hey, Lincoln, did you happen to order something?"

Lincoln looked confused at the question. "Not that I can think of."

"Well, there's a parcel in the living room. It has your name on, but not our address."

Now, Rita was confused. "But, how could it be sent here without an address?"

Lynn simply shrugged. "Maybe one of the girls let whoever sent it in, and they left it there."

"I'll take a look at it once I've had breakfast," Lincoln told his parents, before pouring a glass of orange juice and taking his food into the dining room. Sitting down, he began to eat. 'What could that parcel be?' He pondered. 'And, if I didn't order it, then who sent it? And why?'

It didn't take him long to finish his breakfast. He grabbed the now empty plate and glass, and took them with his fork into the kitchen, placing them in the sink. He then headed through the dining room to the living room, where he saw the brown parcel on the table. Curiously, he sat down in front of it and looked to see that it was indeed for him. He shrugged. "Well, guess I better open it."

He carefully tore through the brown paper and removed it, placing it to one side. He gasped when he saw what the contents of the parcel were- a full comic book creator's kit, with pencils, erasers, sharpeners, markers in a variety of colours, stencils and a book with tips on creating the ultimate comic book. What surprised him even more was who was on the box, which was none other than Ace Savvy.

"I… I didn't even know this existed!" He said in disbelief as he picked it up. "This looks amazing! But, who-" He stopped when he looked down and saw a piece of paper, face down on the table. Intrigued, he placed the kit down on the table and picked up the sheet. Turning it over, he began to read it. **"For our favourite artist, who we could not be more proud of."** He was going to question again who left the gift, but looking at the handwriting, he instantly recognised it.

'Of course,' he thought with a smirk. He grabbed the kit and the letter, forgetting about the packing paper he had left, and began walking upstairs. Turning left, he noticed the attempts of people trying to silence each other, confirming his suspicions. Reaching Lori and Leni's door, he gave it a knock.

"Who is it?" He heard Lori call out.

"It's me!" Lincoln called back. "Is it alright if I come in?"

"Sure, it's unlocked."

Lincoln nodded, before opening the door to see all ten of his sisters, smiling at him- it couldn't be more obvious that they had expected him. "Hey, guys," he greeted with a wave.

"Hey, Lincoln!" They all greeted back- although, Lily's was more of a gargle.

"So, uh, what's this?"

He held up the comic book kit. "What do you mean?" Lori asked, feigning ignorance.

He smirked back at them. "Don't even try that. I know it's not from mom and dad, because Mom was clueless about the parcel, and there's only one person I know whose handwriting matches that of the letter, and that's Lisa."

"Dang my calligraphic excellence," Lisa muttered under her breath.

"Seriously, you guys, what gives?"

"Well, me, Lori, Leni and Luan decided to go to the mall for lunch during school," Luna explained. "We passed by the comic book store on the way to the food court, and Luan peeked it out of the display."

"I thought it was rather comical," Luan punned, laughing while their siblings let out their usual exasperated groan.

"When we got home, we had an emergency sister meeting," Lori continued the explanation, which made Lincoln realise why they had a meeting without him that past Wednesday.

"We talked it over, and all decided to chip in!" Lana excitedly added, with everyone else agreeing.

Lincoln, unsure what to say, stood there, his mouth slightly agape. Leni frowned. "Don't you like it?" She asked, worried.

"Leni, guys, I love it! Really, it's awesome! I'm just… surprised, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, her typically monotonous voice showing the slightest hint of emotion.

"Lincoln, we all think your art is really good!" Lynn answered her brother's question. "We've always known you love comics, and while it sometimes bugs us when you read them in your underwear-"

"Irritates, really," Lola butted in, receiving a brief glare from the athlete.

"Besides that," Lynn forced through gritted teeth, before speaking normally again, "we've always known you could be quite passionate about it."

"Like, it's totally your thing, Linky!" Leni told him.

"It is true," Lisa added. "This is not the first time that your artistic skills have paid off."

Lincoln's smile turned sheepish. "Actually, I wouldn't quite agree there. My usual grade in art class is somewhere between a C and a B-."

"Perhaps, but if I may inquire, is this the first art project you have completed where you adopted that artistic style?" Lincoln was about to respond, but stopped when he realised she was a hundred percent correct. "As I suspected. Not to mention, there was the comic book contest that you won, which- while not as good as the work we saw this past Tuesday- was still rather professional given your age." She decided not to mention that the comic book contest entry was a co-production between Lincoln and Clyde, knowing fully well how close the two were. "To put it more simply, your talent in the medium is outranked only by your affinity for it, and with the proper practice, it could easily level it."

Lincoln blinked. "So, you're saying that… I might one day be able to make my own comic books?"

"We're not trying to force you to do it," Lori suggested, "but we all agree that you would be really good at it, and if you work on it, then yeah, you might."

"Really? You all think that?" Lincoln's smile grew wider than he thought possible when they all nodded at the same time. "Wow… you guys, I… I don't know what to say."

"Your face says it all, Linky."

These words from Leni broke his restraint as he placed the kit on the nearby dresser before hugging the fashionista, with the sisters all hugging on top of them. If there was one word Lincoln would use to describe what he was feeling in that moment, it would be loved. "I love you guys," he uttered within the mass embrace.

It took a moment, but they eventually let go. "So, dude," Luna asked, "you gonna try it out?"

He thought for a second, before replying, "no." Everyone's smiles dropped, their eyes going wide, while he stood their smiling. "I do want to try it out, but not right now. And, while I appreciate what you all said, there's one thing you got wrong."

"What's that?" Lola and Lana both asked, with all ten sisters looking on in anticipation of his answer.

"My biggest passion isn't for comic books… it's for you guys." Their hearts simultaneously melted with a collective "Aww!". He looked around at his sisters as he continued. "I can start using that kit later. For now, I want to hang out with you guys. In fact, I was thinking we could… Nah, you wouldn't be interested."

His sisters all looked at each other, before looking back at him. "Yeah, we would!" Luan argued.

"Come on, Lincoln! Tell us!" Lynn insisted.

He smirked, glancing at his hand when he held it up. "Oh, I was just thinking maybe, if you're all free, we could… go to the mall?" They all gasped, and Lincoln turned to the viewer, covering his ears as he told them, "in three… two… one…" before they all squealed excitedly. "Just try not to leave me with Lily all the time this time."

"Absolutely! You guys go get your things, I'll get the van ready!" Lori exclaimed, before everyone dashed out of the room but herself, Leni and Lincoln.

"I'll see you down there," he told his eldest sisters, before grabbing the gift he had received and leaving their room. "You know," he said to the viewer as he walked towards his room, "living in a house with ten sisters comes with a few bad things. They can annoy you, pester you, and test your sanity at times… but for every bad thing, there's about ten good things that come as well. But none of them compare to the love and support you will receive, no matter what. Whether you're a rockstar or a pageant queen, a gothic poet or a young genius, or even a comic book guy like me. At the end of the day, the thing that really matters is that we all love each other, and want nothing more than for us to be happy." He opened his bedroom door and placed the comic book kit on his desk, then grabbed some money out of his drawer, before looking back at the viewer. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna see if I can snag the sweet spot before the others get to it."

He then ran out of his room, eager to get to the car for a fun day with the people he loved most.

 **THE END**

 **(A/N: thank you all for the immense support you've shown for my work. This story has become one of my most popular, and your reviews have made it so much more fun to work on and publish. I'll be back with more Loud House stuff soon, but until then, thank you.)**


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